Vicious has gained power over the Red Dragon syndicate, and Spike and Julia could easily disappear together. But after seeing Annie die, Spike chooses revenge over a new life. He gathers ammunition as the building comes under heavy gun fire. Spike and Julia decide to lay the past to rest for good.

Recap

Spike: There once was a tiger-striped cat. This cat lived a million lives, died a million deaths, revived a millon times, and was owned by various people which didn't care for too much. The cat wasn't afraid to die. One day the tiger-striped cat met a white lady cat....so that meant he was free. The two of them spent their days happily together frolocking in the sun. But one day the white lady cat got sick and died of old age. The tiger-striped cat cried a million times...then he died too...only this time he didn't come backJet: Yeah its a good story
Spike: I hate that story. I never liked cats...you know that.Jet: Yeah that's right. Tell me one thing, is it for the girl?Spike: She's dead, there's nothing I can do for her now.

Faye: Where are you going? Why are you going? You told me once, to forget the past, 'cause it doesn't matter anymore....but you're the one still tied to the past Spike!Spike: Look into my eyes Faye....one of them is a fake 'cause I lost it in an accident. Since then I've been seen the past in one eye and the present in the other. So i thought I could only see patches of reality...never the whole pictureFaye: Dont tell me things like that, Spike! You never told me anything about yourself....so don't tell me now!Spike: I felt like I was watching a dream; a dream I'd never wake up from. Before I knew it, the dream was all over. So don't you see I have go...I have to do it, Faye!Faye: What are you going to do? Throw you life away like it was nothing?Spike: I'm not going there to die....I'm going to find out if I was ever really alive.

Vicious: I told you before Spike...I'm the only one that can kill you and set you free.

Julia: Its all a dream isn't it?Spike: Yeah just a dream....(Julia dies)

Jet: My leg is wrecked! My ship is busted! He was nothing but trouble and I don't give a damn!

Julia: It was raining that day as well.Spike: And so you didn't come because of the rain?

Jet: Where's Spike? Can you help me track him down?Laughing Bull: All living things, every being that walks and breathes, each has it's own star.Jet: Huh?Laughing Bull: When a life is born, a new star appears. That is the guardian star, the star that warms this planet is someone's guardian star as well. The red star you see overhead, and the blue star in the horizon. And when a life ends, the star falls and disappears.Jet: Don't say that.Laughing Bull: You, Running Rock...Jet: That's not my name! Don't call me that!Laughing Bull: His star is about to fall. I have dreamed it.Jet: Ah!...This is ridiculous. What am I doing here?Laughing Bull: Do not fear death. Death is always at our side. When we show fear, it jumps at us faster than lightning, but it is when we do not show fear,it casts its eye on us gently and casts us to infinity.

Cultural References

At the end of the episode type comes up saying "Your gonna carry that weight". This is a refrence from a lyric of the Beatles, "Boy, your gonna carry that weight".

The title of this episode, "Real Folk Blues", comes from the song "Real Folk Blues" by Muddy Waters.

The folktale, Hyakumankai Ikita Neko, is referenced in Spike's story to Jet.

Episode References

Spike talks to Faye about his false eye attaching him to the past. Though he doesn't come out and say it, it is speculated that Spike lost his eye around the same time he left the syndicate, and lost Julia.

Analysis

Controversy

Question:

Does Spike really die at the end of this episode?

Answer:

Yes. Plain and simple, the answer is yes. Spike bleeds out at the end of this episode and dies. The evidence to support this lies in several facts listed below:

1.) Gren is a parallel to Spike. Gren died, so did Spike.

2.) Spike's guardian star fell.

3.) Spike and Vicious were the only two people capable of killing each other.

4.) Julia died and he had nothing left to live for.

5.) He was technically dead the whole series, he was finding out if he was ever really alive.